A political row erupted in Tamil Nadu on Saturday after BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran made a controversial remark targeting Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, drawing sharp condemnation from Minister A Rajmohan and former BJP state president K Annamalai.
Nagenthran made the remarks while responding to a “kutti kathai” (short story) narrated by Vijay, which had criticised DMK president M K Stalin.
Nagenthran’s Remark Triggers Backlash
Speaking at an event at Kamalalayam, the BJP’s state headquarters in Chennai, Nagenthran said, “When people search for a father in the house and cannot find him, they should ask the mother at home to know who the father is.”
The remark triggered backlash from political leaders, who described it as derogatory and disrespectful, PTI reported.
The BJP state chief was responding to Vijay’s remarks in the Assembly following the DMK’s defeat in the April 2026 Assembly election. Vijay had narrated a “kutti kathai” referring to the whereabouts of an opposition leader’s “father”, in an apparent reference to Stalin’s electoral defeat in the Kolathur Assembly constituency.
The remarks had earlier drawn criticism from several political parties, including the DMK.
Minister Calls Remark ‘Uncivilised’
Speaking to reporters, Rajmohan strongly condemned Nagenthran’s comments, calling them “uncivilised and inappropriate” for a political leader.
He said Vijay had urged his colleagues to maintain civility in politics despite provocations and personal attacks.
Annamalai Condemns Personal Attack
Former BJP state president K Annamalai also criticised Nagenthran’s remarks, saying the BJP leader had crossed the limits of political decorum and civility.
Annamalai said political disagreements and questioning the government’s actions were part of democratic discourse. However, he said personal attacks involving a leader’s family, particularly their mother, were unacceptable.
He described such comments as a regressive, “third-rate” form of politics and said such behaviour should not be encouraged among the younger generation.
